5 Non-Obvious Things Recruiters Look for In Your Résumé

The recruitment world is saturated with advice on how to write show-stopping résumés that recruiters want to read. Well, we’re here to tell you that most of that advice isn’t as helpful as it sounds. Recruiters are tired of reading cookie-cutter résumés that all sound alike. Instead, you’re better off looking into the less obvious things that recruiters want to see.

1. Company Recognition

Professional recruiters are used to making snap judgments when reading a résumé—usually within six seconds of viewing it. As such, it’s in your best interest to stand out in any way you can. When listing your previous work experience, pay heed to how your previous organizations are perceived in the industry. Recruiters form different perceptions about you if you’ve worked for six startups in six years than if you were a consultant at Intel for the past decade.

Recruiters form personal opinions about various organizations and the candidates who have worked there. Keep this in mind as you tailor your résumé to each position.

2. Personality

This is easily the most difficult one on the list, but when done right, it can make a huge impact: Injecting personality into your résumé.

Most candidates are too afraid of looking unprofessional or amateurish that they craft their résumés like scientific research papers. They’re overly formal. They’re dry. And they don’t stand out to recruiters. Let your personality shine through a little bit by cracking a light joke or throwing in a bit of industry slang. We promise the recruiter won’t dismiss you for it. In fact, it’ll make you far more likely to stand out in their minds, and they’ll surely appreciate you giving them something interesting to read!

3. An Online Footprint

While not a necessity for a great résumé, an online footprint (in the way of social media profiles, personal websites, or work contributions to project sites like GitHub) can go a long way toward making your résumé stand out to recruiters. Many people omit these from their résumés thinking that recruiters won’t bother with them, but in truth, recruiters love this type of information. It breaks up their endless dig through the résumé pile and provides far more information about a potential candidate’s fit than a CV ever could.

4. Relevant Keywords

It’s surprising how many candidates neglect to include relevant keywords in their résumés. Particularly for highly technical roles that require specific knowledge of various coding languages (Java, Ruby on Rails, C++, etc.), keyword inclusion can be a huge point in your favor.

By including industry-specific and relevant keywords, you’re making it easier for recruiters to identify your skills. Plus, it shows that you’ve researched the company enough to know what terms they’re looking for.

5. Numbers and Achievements

This one might be a bit more obvious, but be sure to include all relevant achievements and statistics that you’re owed. Bonus points if you have numbers to back you up; recruiters love it when a candidate can provide objective, concrete evidence of their successes in previous positions.

Struggling to come up with ideas? No problem. Your achievements don’t need to be game-changing as long as you know how to sell them. Consider the three-step CAR method of listing your successes:

C = Challenge: What was a previous challenge that you had to solve or overcome?

A = Action: What steps did you take to make it happen?

R = Result: What was the outcome of these actions and what value did it bring to the organization?

When viewed through the CAR lens, even modest accomplishments can be positioned as noteworthy achievements.

Make Yourself Stand Out

Above all else, recruiters look for candidates that can distinguish themselves from their competitors. Take the above advice and don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd. You might be surprised at the results.

For more information about recruiting, résumé building, and how to bring the best possible candidates into your organization, contact Urgenci for an assessment of your company’s recruiting and onboarding processes.